The Best In Me
by lizook
Summary: A large charge later, he was on his way home, excited to surprise her.


**Spoilers/Timeline**: None/Set in future.

**A/N**: This might be a little cracktastic, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to **bearlee_there** for sparking the idea and helping brainstorm it. Also to **Alanna1231** for the spot check.

**Disclaimer**: Bones isn't mine. Title found in Lady Antebellum's _When You Got A Good Thing.

* * *

_He rummaged in the shopping bag, smiling as his fingers closed around the wine bottle. The one she loved, but rarely bought. He hadn't been able to resist; it was practically calling him from the other end of the aisle as he looked for a scotch good enough to give Hodgins for his birthday. A large charge later, he was on his way home, excited to sur—

"Hey, watch out!"

He glanced up quickly, but it was already too late: he ran right into a tall, lanky man wearing a sweater vest, glasses perched precariously on his nose, a briefcase clutched in his hand. He was Sweets version 2.0 only... nerdier... _Was that even possible?_ He pushed the thought aside, realizing the man had just left _his_ apartment.

"Sorry about that, man. I was busy making sure I actually bought what I need to. Why were—" He paused, noticing the stranger was now halfway to the elevator, their incident clearly insignificant in his busy schedule.

Shaking his head, Booth pushed opened the apartment door, dropping his keys on the end table by her purse. "Bones?" He'd expected to find her at the dining room table, pouring over student essays, but they were stacked in a neat pile, her green pen (_"It's less conventional than red so it catches their attention..."_) teetering on the edge as if she'd just set it down. "Bones, I'm home and I brought a surprise."

"Hey, I didn't hear you come in." She stuck her head out of the doorway to their joint home office, grinning as his shoulders relaxed and the bag he was carrying dropped to the floor with a loud clank. "Well, I hope you didn't break Dr. Hodgins' gift."

"I don't care about the scotch." He crouched, digging in the bag once more. "It's this I'm concerned about; they both seem to have survived though."

"Are you going to show me or—"

"Geez Bones, always impatient."

"You're the one who, upon arriving, announced—"

"Ok, ok, I get it. I brought it on myself." Pulling the bottle from the bag, he smirked, watching as she walked down the hall and leaned against the couch, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Booth, that's the wine—"

"We had in San Francisco two years ago and you fell in love with? Yeah, it is." His grin grew as he stood and she snatched the bottle from him.

"But why? Today isn't a holiday or special occasion observed by society or us as a couple."

"I know. And I know that, as much as you enjoy this wine, you're not likely to buy it so I thought I would. I wanted to celebrate you... _us_..."

"That's... I..." She set the bottle on the couch before throwing her arms around his waist, lips crashing down on his. "That's very thoughtful. I find I'm... I'm quite moved by the sentiment."

"Mmm, you move _me, _baby."

Rolling her eyes, she rested her head against his chest, her hands drifting across the small of his back. "I should put that in the fridge for later."

"Sounds like a good idea." He followed her from the room, dropping the shopping bag on the table next to her pile of papers. "Oh, who was that stuffed shirt leaving the apartment when I got back?"

"Hmmm?" She closed the fridge and walked back towards the living room, laughing lightly as he trailed after her.

"Tall, gangly guy, looked like a strong wind would blow him over..."

"That's physically impossible... unless you consider hurricanes—"

"Bones..."

"Sorry." She smiled over at him, pulling her feet up under her as she settled on the couch. She was suddenly even happier that she'd completed her grading, that her appointment for the Jeffersonian was over, leaving her free to spend the rest of the day just being with him. It was a luxury she'd never imagined wanting — enjoying — but she did. More than she could ever say. "It was an insurance appraiser."

"Appraisers make house calls?" He scratched the back of his head, their knees brushing as he sat down next to her.

"The policy was recently updated and—"

"Ok, but what needs to be appraised if it was just an—"

"My hands. The Jeffersonian board was insistent that they be insured. The company quoted a figure a couple months ago, but this was the first opportunity both my schedule and theirs allowed for—"

"Wait, wait, your hands? Your hands are insured?"

"Correct. For 1.8 million dollars, in fact. It's really not a big deal."

Blinking rapidly, he let out a low whistle. "Bones, that's... I... it _is _a big deal."

"It's really not. My hands are vital to our work, that's all. The board thought it would be prudent to—"

"Yeah, it wasn't your idea, I get it, but I'm telling you..." He scooted closer to her on the cushion, his hand clasping hers. "It's important. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just... I didn't intentionally keep it from you. I really didn't think you'd find it of interest. I'm sorry."

Sighing, he pressed a kiss to her temple, his thumb drifting across her knuckled. "Hey, no apologies needed; I know you didn't do it on purpose."

"Good, because really, the whole thing is meaningless."

"Oh, I don't know about that. You shouldn't be doing the dishes..."

"Booth..."

"And no more frisbee on the mall with Parker and forget opening that bottle of wine, the corkscrew might damage..."

"Booth!" She rolled her eyes, laughing as his shoulder nudged hers.

"What? Hands that valuable should be taken care of."

"And they will be, but I'm not going to cease all non-work related activity just so—"

"Damn right you're not." He winked, the corner of his mouth lifting as she bit her lip and turned her hand so that their fingers were twined together.

"I'll admit..." Her head fell to his shoulder and she shivered as his thumb caressed the inside of her wrist. "It is quite unconventional for one to have one of their body parts insured. Perhaps I should have recognized the correlation between that and its importance." Sighing, she closed her eyes, enjoying his skin against hers, his warmth beside her. "I just thought the board made a good, logical point; handling bones is often delicate work and if something happened to my—"

"Yeah, I get it, baby." Kissing her softly, he pulled her further into his embrace. "I don't really want to think about it anymore though."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm, I just want to spend the rest of the day like this. You and me. Relaxing. Maybe get a glass of that wine later and..." His dimples appeared as her hand squeezed his and their eyes met. "Well, there are some _much_ more important, enjoyable things you do with your hands, Bones."

"Hmm..." She pressed a kiss to his jaw, her hand slipping from his and falling to his hip. "By that logic, we should insure _your _hands as well..."


End file.
